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For all of you who feel called to be lay apostles, I believe it is necessary that you learn to pray. At this point, as I see what is happening around us, I'm convinced that we can't survive if our leaders don't learn how to pray. You are a leader if you go to Mass every Sunday and do anything beyond that to serve in the kingdom.

My favourite resource for people learning to pray is Speak, Lord, Your Servant is Listening. We need to praise God and thank him and intercede for others but more importantly, than all of that, is listening to God as he speaks to us. As you consider the limited amount of time that you spend with God in prayer, who do you think should do most of the speaking? and who should do most of the listening?

What changes will you have to make in your life to have a regular, extended time of listening to God? The excuse is the same for everyone: "I don't have time!" I understand that you don't currently have the time to pray but, if those of you who are called to be lay apostles don't learn to pray, then I think that as a Church we are essentially defenseless against all that is coming at us.

Advent is the perfect time to assess who, or what, determines the priorities in your life. Do you spend Advent the way the rest of the world does or have you made it a time of watchful prayer and reflection on the Scriptures? At the end of Advent will you be any more prepared for the coming of Christ than you were at the beginning of Advent?